Machine for coating and glazing biscuits



Aug. ll, 1931. E. sAvY MACHINE FOR COATING AND GLAZING BISCUITS Filed Jan. 25. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 11, 1931. E. sAvY 1,818,911

MACHINE FOR COATING AND GLAZING BISCUITS Filed Jan. 23, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. l1, 1931. E. sAvY 1,818,911

MACHINE FOR COATING AND GLAZINGj BISCUITS Filed Jan. 23. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. ll, 1931, E. `$AVY MACHINE FOR COATING AND GLAZING BISGUITS Filed Jan. 23. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 E. SAVY MACHINE FOR COATING AND GLAZING BISCUITS Aug. 11, 1931.

Filed Jan. 25, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheen*l 5 membrana@ `.11, 1931' UNITED s'rn'rlss 1' A'rr=;1-rrl OFFICE um spav, or raars, :man

MACHINE ron comme am) Gmzme nrscurrs Application med January 98, 1928, Seriall 1705345985, and in France January 85, 1827.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine for glazing or coating sweetmeats or biscuits in a bath of coating material of variable thickness, said coating being aplied either su ericially as a mere surface ayer, or to a epth that may reach several centimeters, while requiring only-a much re- 4 be changed frequently in the course of op-` A-B of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a cross-section of the same taken along line C-D of Figure 1. r

Figure 4 is a lon 'tudinal section taken along line E-F of igure 2. l

Figures 5 and 6 are detail views.

Figures 7 and 8 respectively are a lon itudinal section and a cross-section of a g `vice for cleaning the machine.

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate, in order to fix ideas, two ln'nds of biscuit coatings obtainable with the machine.

The improved machine comprises a frame 1 in the form of a cage supported on a pillar 2 adapted to slide-vertically in a stand 3, its movement being controlled byany suitable means, as, for instance, a rack on said illar oplerated by a wheel 4, a worm 5 and a andw eel 6. l y

Frame 1 carries a basin or tank 7 made of inoxidizable metal, preferably of aluminium to minimize weight. Said basin 7 is to ped with a raised or extension frame ma e of re 1 is a longitudinal vertical s'efo-` 'Y tional view of the machine taken along line two portions/8 8', which increases the-volumev thereof 'and, 1n' its turn, carries three hollow cylinders 9-94 the cylinder 9 having associated with it an' inclined frame ,or guide-33 (Figures 1 and 5) which bears 5g tangentially against it andwhich may be either stationary or adjustable. Said cylinders, made of inoxidizable metal, are, in principle, constituted by tubes, this in order to Vminimize their weight. `The spindles 49-of these cylinders rotate in bearings 10 clamped between thetwo, portions 8-8 of the aforementioned raised frame, assemv bling being effected by means of screws 11-11 (Fig. 2). The number of said cyline0.

ders is not neoessarilylimited to three but varies according to the size of the machine and to the sort of articles to be glazed or coated.

Sprocket p/inions 12 (Figure 4), keyed on 65 spindles 9 and driven by chain 13, impart to cylinders 9, 9', 9 a rotary motion in the direction indicated by arrows f, said chain being driven by a pulley 14 and gears 15 and 16 (Figures 3 and A4). Rollers 17 (Fig- 70 ure 4) maintain sufficiently taut, the chain which next passes around a sprocket pinion 18 keyed on a shaft 19 that is thereby driven in thevsame direction as cylinders 9,9', 9. 0n said shaft 19 are keyed a plurality of 75 small, grooved pulleys 20, spaced about 10 mm., and the grooves of which register with grooves of the `same size provided on cylinders 9, 9', 9". The ,varioussets of grooves are connected by fine springs 21 referably 80 made of inoxidizable metal; the diameter of said springs being about 1 mm. The return stretches of said springs are directed upward by a transverse guide spindle 22 so as to permit them to enter into basin 7 (Figure 1). 35

The set of sprin s 21 constitutes a conveyor for the coate articles. It should be notedthat this method of constructm a conveyor by means of separate strands lilas long been known, but only by using threads 0 justing the position of. shutter 36.

(silk or cotton for adjusting 'the position of the shaft 19.

whereon the pulleys 20 are mounted.

Springs 21 are very strong andwill stand frequent boiling water washings without having to be taken down. c

'Small free rollers 23 rest by gravity between c linders 9, 9', 9" whic frictionally rotate t em in a direction opposite the one in which they are themselves rotating (arrow Afsdraper 24 is adjustable vertically by means of screws 25 (Figures 1 and 2).

A smooth or fiuted submerging cylinder 26 is mounted on a pair of -arms 27 each provided at one endwith a notch 28 (Figure 6) that straddles the guide spindle 22 and at the other end with a screwV 29 that bears on lframe 8', and the top vp'artor` which is fitted asin 7, and a plug 35 permits said basin and hopper to be drained. An adjustable shutter 36 tightly closes. the front of the basin. A conveyor 37 automatically feeds to the machine the articles to be coated, and another conveyor 38 runs through cage 1 below basin 7 in the direction of arrow f3 to discharge the coated articles.

The parts being so arranged, operation is as follows:

The basin 7 is filled with glazing material' up to a level adjusted by the overflow wall 39 and the machine is then started. The glazing material, taken along by cylinders 9, 9', 9, forms a stream or sheet 40 the thickness of which can be varied bySadaid stream travels in the direction indicated by arrow f and fiows down the inclined chute or guide into basin 7, -forming with the conveyor spring wires 21 a very acute angle, such acuteness constituting a highly important feature as will become hereinafter apparent.

The machine being so adjusted and under 'l way; the biscuits or other articles 41 to be .thus being greatl coated are suitably placed on conveyor' 37 which automatically deposits them on the stream of glazing material 40. If said articles are light, which is the case with biscuits, they riedby the stream under the adjustable submerging cylinder 26, which cylinder performsno active duty, that is to say is lifted' out of the way,`when a plane surface is to be glazed, but', on the contrary, is lowered the proper amount if the coatin has to be applied up to some height. 'The oose rollers 23, which are rotated in the reverse direction from cylinders 9, 9', 9, and consequently, from the direction of movement of the coating stream 40, create eddies in the material immediately above them, so that the material is thereby caused to rubslightly against the bottoms of the articles, coating facilitated because the material is com e led to vpenetrate into the numerous ytiny oles or recesses in the biscuits.

The articles, properly coated underneath, are fed to the level of the inclined guide or chute 33 where they leave the stream and are supported solely by the conveyor springs 21, thetstream making a. very acute angle with the conveyor as stated above. It should be noted that the lazing layer is of equal thickness both on t e front and on the rear part (Figure 9); whereas if the inclined guide 33 were omitted (see Fig. 5) the glazing material falling back into the basin would form a bead 42 at the point where the cylinder and the conveyor wires intersect. Biscuit 41, leaving-the coating stream (see arrow F", Figure 6), would immediately come to bear at its front end on conveyor 21, assuming a sloping position 41 indicated by dotted lines in `said figure. The rear part of the biscuit being kept up 'by the coating stream, the biscult, when just leavoat on theysurface and are caring the stream, would, due to its own weight,

suddenly come down to horizontal position. At thismoment, the stream would come to coat the rear end of the' said biscuit up to a height equal or nearly equal to its thickness, thus forming an unacceptable heel 43. Hence this guide or chute constitutes an imortant. feature of' my invention.

ontinuing their travel, the biscuits have a convex layer 44 of coating material (Figure 1) applied to their lower faces which represents the amount of material with which the biscuit will be ultimately covered; the vertically adjustable scraper 24 permits ythis amount tobe modified as desired, the

ing arran ed closely enou h to rmit small size biscuits to be fed aging, ite sometimes happens that, being moreor less thick or viscous, `the lazin material will spread in a' sheet joining al the springs together, which would soon clog the iscuit-overturninparts 48. t y causing an air blast to be blown under pressure into tube 45, the air jets issuin l through apertures 47. will break up sai sheet and also will remove any excess lazin material which the springs 21 may ave ta en along; of course the excess material dro s into the basin7.

ontinuing-their travel, the biscuits come into contact with extra-thin disks 48 attached to the aforementioned grooved pulleys and of a diameter substantially less than that of the pulleys. The purpose of these 20 characteristic of my invention, is to detach, by lifting them, the biscuits that adhere somewhat firmly .to springs 21 and to permit them to be readilyischarged at the moment when, taken along by said disks, they tumble u side downen to the lower conveyor 38. aid conveyor, after'passlng the biscuits over a vibrating plate 38', in order to finish the smoothing of the coated surface, carries them to a drying stove whereinto it discharges them on to plates in the usual way.

The inverting disks 48 are from two to three tenths of a millimeter thick and they permit the furrows left on the biscuits by the imprint of the thicker springs 21 to get vclosed up during the turning over operation.

Said disks also prevent light biscuits from being -dragged by the return strands, o f the sprin wires from which the are detached, and t e have the further e ect of furnishing sai return strands with all the glazing material that accumulates on their surface and which would otherwise soon cldg the whole system. AIn this way the return strands are enabled to carry said surplus glazing back into the basin 7, the level in which is regulated by overflow 39. 50 In principle, if this adjustment is properly made, there should be no overiiow of material at the point 39; but if an overflowv does occur, the excess glazing material will flow into and down chute 49, and can be collected in any suitable container positioned at hand.

The capacity of basin 7 having to be as Areduced as possible for the reasons above set forth, the amount of glazing material corresponding tothe output of the machine is kept in a reservoir 50 positioned adjacent thereto and, preferably, provided with a stirrer in order to keep'the material on the move. Said material Hows into hopper 34 through a simple cock 51 adapted to adjust disks 48, which also constitute an importantdelivery `so as 'to maintain constant the level inthe basin' but the right is reserved to regulate said delivery automatically b means of the level of the glazing materia as through a float ada ted to act mechanically or electrically, w "ch device, however, is not essential.

When an operation is completed or. when it is'desired to change the quality or the colour of the coating, the basin 7 is em tied through drainin a rture 35, after w ich, by unscrewing t e our screws 11 (Figures 1 and 2) the frames 8 and 8 are released and raised which, being assembled together bly means of screws 11', will bodily carry t e whole mechanism: rollers, wires, overturnin disks, etc., except the driving pulley 14 an gear 15 which remain secured on cage 1. Handles 52 secured, for instance,

`to the upper frame member 8', facilitate handling.

The unit' so removed from the machine is then deposited in a suitably shaped tank 53, the lower part of frame 8 resting upon angle-pieces 54 secured to the inner sides of tank 53. In this position, gear 16 meshes with a pinion 55 secured on the tank and driven by a small pulley 56 operated either by hand, by means of a crank 57, or mechanically by means of a belt. Tank 53 being filled with boiling water, it will be readily understood that an almost instant cleaning of the whole mechanism can be effected through revolving it by means of pulley 56 and of pinions 16 and 55. After a couple of mlnutes, the boiling water is replaced by cold water.

The set or unit having been brought .back

to room temperature, it is lifted bodily by means of handles 52 and refitted on basin 7 by means of screws 11, said basin having been cleaned in the meanwhile.

In this way changing the quality or the colour of the coating or glazing material requires but a few minutes.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a coating apparatus, a rece tacle to contain coating material; a set o relatively-large, parallel coating c linders there- 1n; a skeleton feed conveyor or the articles to be coated passing around said cylinders;

means for driving the cylinders; and a set of relatively-small rollers arranged between adjacent cylinders and resting gravitationall in contact `with their surfaces so as to be riven frictionally by the same and thereby create eddies in the material immediately above them.

2. In a coating apparatus, a receptacle to contain coating material; a set of relativelylarge, parallel coating c linders 'therein; a skeleton feed conveyor or the articles to 4be coated comprising a set of line endless springs passing around said cylinders and engaged in circumferential grooves therein;

of relativelylsmall rollers .arranged between adjacent cylinders and restin gravitationf ally in contact with their sur acesso a's to be driven frictionall by the same and thereb create eddies in t e material immediately a ove them.

3. Coatingapparatus according to-claim 1, in whichthe cylinders and rollers are substantially. coextensive and have thelr axes disposed in parallel relation.

4. In a coating apparatus, a receptacle to contain coatin material; a set of relativelylarge, paralle coating cylinders mounted therein; means for driving said cylinders; means for feeding the articles to be coated across the tops of the cylinders while maintaining them in contact with the material; and a set of relatively-small rollers disposed below said feeding means in the spaces between adjacent cylinders and driven in the opposite direction from the same so -as to create eddies in the materialimmediately above them.

5. Coating apparatus according to claim 4, in which the eddy-creatingV rollers arev loose and rest by gravity in contact 'with the surfaces of the cylinders so as to be driven frictionally by such contact.

6. In a coating apparatus, a receptacle to contain coating material; a set of parallel coating cylinders disposedtherein; skeleton feeding means for the articles to be coated extending across the tops lof the cylinders and over which a stream of coating material is caused to travel; and an inclined guide associated with the last cylinder of the set and disposed below and at an extremely acute angle to the feeding means to prevent over-coating and conse uent formation of heels at the rear ends o the articles.

7. In a coating apparatus, a receptacle to contain coating material; a set of parallel coating cylinders disposed therein; skeleton feeding means for the articles tobe coated extending across the tops of the cylinders and over which a stream of coating material is caused to travel; and an inclined guide below the feeding means disposed tangentially to the last cylinder of the set and at an extremely acute angle to said feeding means to prevent over-coating and consequent formation of heels at the rear ends of the articles.

8. In a coating apparatus, a receptacle to contain coating material; a set of relativelylarge, parallel coating cylindersl therein; means for driving said cylinders; skeleton feedin means for the articles to be coated extending across the tops of the cylinders and over which a stream of coating material is caused to travel; an inclined guide associated with the last cylinder of the set and disposed below and at an acute angle to the feeding means; anda set of relatively-small fuers disposed below said 'feedin' .mans in t-he spaces between adjacent cylin ers and driven in the opposite direction from the Isame so as to create eddies inthe material immediately above them.

9. In a coating apparatus, a receptacle to contain coating material; a 'set of arallel coating cylinders disposed therein; s eleton feeding means for the articles to be coated extending across the tops of the cylinders and over which a stream o'f coatin material is caused. to travel; an incline guide associated with the last cylinder of the set lel coating cylinders therein arranged one in advance of another and having alining parallelcircumferential grooves; a shaft external to said receptacle and disposed parallel with the axes of the" cylinders; a set of lpulleys fixed to said shaft in line with the rows of alining grooves; a feed conveyor for the articles to becoated comprising a setof endless springs passing around said cylinders and pulleys and engaged in said grooves, said springs being made of line helically-coiled wires; and an extremely thin disk secured to one face 'of each pulley to detach the coated articles from the conveyor springs and invert them during their passage over the disks, said vdisks having a greater diameter than said pulleys so as to project continuously beyond the vperipheries of the pulleys. e

11. Coating apparatus comprising a receptacle to contain coating material; a coating cylinder therein;.a pulley device external to said receptacle; a feed conveyor for the articles to be coated passing around said cylinder and pulley device; means at the delivery end of the conveyor for inverting the coated articles as they leave said conveyor; a horizontal receiving member below said conveyor and whereon the inverted articles fall; and means for moving. said conveyor bodily in a vertical direction toward or from the receiving member to vary the height of the said delivery end of the conveyor above said member.

12. Coating apparatus comprising a vertically-movable, hollow cage; a receptacle tocontain coating material mounted on the top of the cage for bodily vertical movement therewith; a coating cylinder in said receptacle; a pulley device external to the repassing around said cylinder 

